Meanwhile, Back at the Tower…

SCION
It had been a long day, and JJ was glad to settle down in his favorite chair in front of the fire and unwind with a glass of the good bourbon. Two major fights, and one of them with the actual Liberty Alliance… and then Álvaro de la Vega’s bombshell offer! His mind was almost as exhausted as his body, but there was no way he was getting to sleep right away… he kept playing the days events in a loop, especially the last several hours…

Once Raptor had cleared up the strange misunderstanding that had lead to the fight with the Alliance members, and gone off to talk in private with de la Vega, JJ had given every appearance of being distracted by the banter with Sure-Shot and Red Racer; but he had no intention of being left in the dark about whatever the hell was going on. Phantom Ace had a similar idea, it seemed, but subtlety was called for and JJ had little confidence in the younger man’s skill in that area.

“Artemis,” he said over the comm-link he had given her that morning at Police HQ. “I think young Roland is planning on some impromptu eavesdropping – could you –”

But of course she had already spotted the kid’s move, and was in place to lay a hand on his shoulder as he tried to sidle away from the group. Once she had dissuaded him from his attempt, she’d nodded to JJ and returned her attention to the conversation. God knew, the East Coast heroes seemed to be sincerely trying to make amends for the earlier contretemps, but JJ was only half listening, letting the others carry the conversation.

He was much more focused on the tiny bug he had sent flitting after Raptor and de la Vega, which was transmitting their conversation back to him from the conference room the two had stepped into.

“– if Nimrod is involved,” Raptor was saying as the bug got within range. “Jetstream thought it best that we check in on you, under the circumstances.”

“How thoughtful of the old coot,” de la Vega had replied, an underlying annoyance edging the usual humor in his tone. “I can practically feel the love from here.”

“Spare me, Álvaro,” the younger woman had sighed. “You know it was a perfectly logical inference to draw, under the circumstances. So no more dancing around it – did you, in fact, have anything to do with this so-called Astoria Incident?”

All trace of humor had dropped from de la Vega’s voice then. “Elizi- Raptor… I swear to you that I had no prior knowledge of the Incident, no hand in it at all, and what little I know now comes from the media, my sources in the city government, and especially that new group of heroes outside. I’m as concerned about this as anyone – whatever else, you know I love this city. My intentions are strictly honorable. Which I hope to prove, in fact, once we rejoin the others.”

There had followed a moment of silence before Raptor spoke again. “I believe you, Álvaro. And to be honest, I don’t think even Jetstream really thought you had anything to do with it… but it would have been irresponsible not to check. We just didn’t anticipate… whatever it was that happened here today. Do you think any of these new heroes had anything to do with Urbana going off like that?”

“I seriously doubt it,” he replied. “Nothing in their known power sets would suggest it, except maybe for Totem, and he was busy controlling Toby once the shit hit the fan. In any case, Urbana seemed to think I was responsible for whatever was happening to her.”

Another moment of fraught silence, then his exasperated voice once more. “And no, I didn’t do anything to the damn Spirit of the City!”

After that the conversation had moved on to what little de la Vega knew about the Astoria Incident, including the Vanguard’s revelation about the matrix crystals. Raptor had little to add from the Liberty Alliance’s side – the event seemed to have blindsided them as much as everyone else. They were worried about an explosion of new metas, but relieved that a new team seemed poised to handle things in Astoria.

“You know as well as I do that this version of the Alliance just isn’t… what we used to be, once upon a time. On top of that, we’re spread too thin right now, given recent events both at home and off-planet,” Raptor had concluded. “Most of what we have in the way of big hitters are in space right now, in fact, which is why they weren’t here today. It’s good to know we won’t have to expend too many resources keeping a lid on Astoria. Assuming this new team of Astor’s holds together, of course.”

“Speaking of which,” de la Vega had replied, humor returning to his voice, “let’s rejoin the party, and I’ll see if I can lay everyone’s lingering worries to rest…”

♦  ♦  ♦  ♦

ARTEMIS
Artemis was going over the days surprising events herself, relaxing in the giant spa tub that was one of her few indulgences in life. Showers were certainly a great invention, and a boon when one was in a hurry, but she had always had a soft spot for the sybaritic luxury of soaking in steaming hot water. A legacy of her Reconstruction-era upbringing, no doubt. There were people who had learned of this minor vice over the years, but her love of the bubbles remained a closely held secret.

She needed the bath tonight, she thought, as the water jets massaged her body and she began to truly relax amidst the bubbles. It had been awhile since she’d been in that kind of meta-human fight, never mind two in the same day, and even her amazing constitution didn’t prevent the lactic acid buildup in her muscles… though she did recover quicker than most.

A hand snaked up from the cloud of bubbles to snag the bottle of Ninkasi Ground Control Imperial Stout from where it stood sweating on the edge of the tub. Taking a long swig, she stared into the darkness beyond the circle of candles around her, and contemplated Álvaro de la Vega’s astounding offer…

When Raptor and de la Vega’s had returned from their private conversation, which Scion had shared with her over their secure comm-link, Artemis had been curious what new surprise the billionaire was poised to spring on them. Several possibilities had occurred to her, but what he actually had to say caught even her off guard.

“I know every one of you here came to me today with the idea that I might have had something to do with the Astoria Incident, and I hope I have convinced you all that I am not in any way responsible for this horrific occurrence. If there are any lingering doubts, perhaps what I’m about to suggest will help alleviate them.

“For the last several years I’ve been working on putting together resources for a team of hometown defenders for Astoria. Given the historical lack of heroes in the city and the presence of organizations like the Cabal, E.V.A.L., and now whoever or whatever is behind the Incident, I’ve felt for quite some time that we needed our own dedicated city defenders.

“I was planning on beginning a recruitment drive in just a few weeks, if fact, seeking appropriate heroes for this hypothetical “dream team”… but then you all showed up, just when the city needed you most. I can take a hint when Fate whacks me upside the head with one. So, I’d like to donate the resources I’ve already gathered and use them to get all of you set up with everything you’ll need to be fully effective as the Vanguard. I have connections in the city government; you’ve already been temporarily deputized by the APD; and with the Alliance’s help dealing with SHADE, I believe we could have things up and running in short order.

“I’m sure that Captain Astor’s facility is very nice, and adequate for the emergency needs of the moment, but I doubt he really wants to turn his company’s offices into the headquarters for a superhero team. However, my people have been working on just such a space in the top floors of my new AzTech Pyramid, complete with the very best technology I could put together — my own cutting-edge stuff, in fact.

“I’ve been thinking about this for some time and I’ve spoken with the local authorities in general terms. They’ve had mixed feelings about an organized group of heroes taking up residence in the city, but Mayor Syrett in particular has been at least open to the possibility. I think now, with the chaos caused by the Incident and the sudden influx of new meta-humans, any real resistance to the idea will pretty quickly vanish.

“Rome wasn’t built in a day and all that, but I have every confidence SHADE will come around after the Alliance puts in a good word and you’ve spent a little time talking with them. We’ll need their buy-in, of course, but given recent events I don’t see that as being a problem… If anyone had any doubts about your dedication or abilities, your actions since the Incident should certainly have eased them. I know there’s still a lot of details to work out, but what do you say? Are you in?”

After a moments silence, suddenly everyone seemed to be talking at once. The Liberty Alliance members had seemed generally enthusiastic and the younger Vanguard were definitely into the idea. As most of the heroes had gathered around Álvaro and began peppering him with questions, which he had enthusiastically answered, Artemis had stepped back from the crowd. Raptor and Scion had followed and the three had spoken quietly for a few moments.

“What is your assessment of this offer,” Artemis asked Raptor bluntly. “Clearly you had doubts about de la Vega, or you would not have come here today.”

“Doubts? Not exactly that,” the hero had replied, frowning. “But Álvaro has… a history with the Alliance. He is also one of the most brilliant minds on the planet. It seemed prudent to check in with him regarding an event of this nature right on his own doorstep. But I believe him when he says he was not involved.”

“I am not inexperienced in the art of separating lies from truth,” Artemis said. “As you know. I, too, have come to the the conclusion that de la Vega has been telling the truth regarding the Incident. However, I also believe that he is not being entirely forthcoming with us… I am just unsure in what way, or its significance. But I may be letting my fond memories of his… family… influence me, and so my hesitation.” John had given her an odd look at that last, which she blandly ignored.

“Heart rate, respiration, galvanic response, some other stuff my tech can measure,” Scion had said with a shrug, “all lead me to conclude that he’s been truthful… but like Artemis, my gut says he’s hiding something.”

Raptor actually smiled at that. “Well, it certainly proves you both have the instincts for this job. Without a doubt Álvaro is keeping secrets – he has always played it close to the vest, its in his nature – but I think, as far as his offer to sponsor your team goes, he is completely sincere.

“That’s not to say some of his other secrets might not rear up and bite you on the ass someday, of course. So caution is most certainly called for. The bottom line with Álvaro de la Vega? Trust, but verify. That’s the Libery Alliance’s position with him, after all.”

On that somewhat ambiguous endorsement the three had rejoined the larger group. After a few more minutes of discussion and good natured horseplay between some of the younger heroes, Raptor declared that they needed to get Urbana back to the Overwatch and figure out what was wrong with her. Good-byes were said, heartfelt apologies reiterated, and assurances of no hard feelings were given. As the last light of the setting sun glinted on the Pegasus spaceplane, it had shot up almost silently into the darkening sky. In seconds it was gone.

“Well, I know you need time to think about my offer,” Álvaro had said once the Liberty Alliance was gone. “But maybe seeing what that offer actually entails would help. Construction is almost competed on the AzTech Pyramid – my company will be moving our official corporate HQ into the building in a few weeks – just as well I suppose, after today’s events. It’s going to take that long to clean this mess up.” He’d gestured at the remains of his office and the torn up landscaping outside.

”So, why don’t we pop over to the Pyramid now and take a look at what your futures might hold? The night is young, after all!”

A few glances between the members of the Vanguard had produced a consensus in short order. “We’d be happy to see what you’ve got,” Quanta said, speaking for the group.

♦  ♦  ♦  ♦

QUANTA
Stepping out of the shower, Kyle worked the thick towel vigorously across his back and neck, giving sore muscles some extra attention. The long, hot shower had helped, but he was still feeling muscles he hadn’t even known he possessed. Actual fighting was a lot different than practicing… and absolutely nothing like fencing! He was going to need to work on that, and maybe work on some combo moves with his new teammates… he’d already had a few thoughts on that, during the day’s two (two!) battles… and one of them with the goddamn Liberty Alliance! True, they may not be the legendary team they were back in their heyday, but that name was still one to conjure with!

Shrugging on his robe, he grabbed a La Croix from the beverage fridge in his bedroom, and stepped out onto the balcony. From this side of his penthouse condo he could see the AzTech Pyramid rising above the other skyscrapers of downtown. The exterior lights were off, of course – they wouldn’t be lit until the official opening – but several floors showed interior lights where crews were working around the clock to put the finishing touches on de la Vega’s latest creation. It was strange to think that he might soon be spending much of his time at the top of that building, now the tallest in Astoria (and the state, come to think of it).

He had offered to open a quantum portal to Defiance Plaza when Álvaro made his offer to show them the headquarters on offer. He hadn’t yet had a chance to show off that particular ability; and truth be told, he was still a little frustrated that he hadn’t been able to summon a portal during the fight. So the universal reaction of amazement when he opened the shimmering quantum tunnel, connecting the torn up courtyard with the heart of downtown, had been pretty gratifying.

Álvaro de la Vega had been the first one to step through, with a sigh and some muttered words about pomegranates, while Artemis had brought up the rear. “Very impressive, Kyle,” she had said quietly, when it was just the two of them. “I am uncertain of how my cloak will react to this form of teleportation, however, so I hope you will not be offended if I make my own way this evening?”

“Oh, no, of course not,” he’d replied, a little flustered. How did she manage to be so intimidating, just standing there? “Something we should test, but you’re right, now’s not the time.” She’d nodded, giving him one of her enigmatic smiles and, stepping back into the shadows, had vanished. It wasn’t until he was about to step through the portal himself that it suddenly hit him that she had used his real name!

Shit, was she telepathic on top of everything else? She was spooky enough as it was. Then he’d shrugged and stepped through, letting the portal collapse behind him. What the hell, he’d known he probably couldn’t keep his identity a secret, at least from his teammates, not once he’d agreed to be a part of the Vanguard. But he really needed to find out how she’d known, if for no other reason than to guard against others learning his secret the same way…

At the southern end of Defiance Plaza, which many considered the heart of old Astoria, the others were waiting for him. Including Artemis, who returned his searching stare with another faint smile and a tilt of her head that said “another time.” De la Vega was gesturing them all onward, into the vast atrium lobby of the blue glass pyramid which soared over the plaza, and he let it go. For the moment.

The AzTech Pyramid was the tallest building in the city now, surpassing the previous record holder, the 62-story Medallion Insurance tower, by 18 floors. Four tiers of dark blue glass, each one sloping gently inwards, brought the total height of the building to 905 feet, not counting the communications mast. The base of the tower was a square 360 feet on a side, with the roof of the highest tire being 65 feet square. The building was so large that it spanned parts of two blocks, with Emerald Avenue running beneath the building itself and through its upper sub-levels.

“That blue “glass” covering the building is actually a polyceramic-glass composite,” Álvaro had explained as he led them into the 8-story atrium of the main entrance off the Plaza. “It’s several times tougher than concrete, and totally polarizable – thus the transparency can be controlled, from entirely see-through to completely reflective, on one side or both. Most of the building is hard-set to about 50% reflective transparency from the outside, with individual floors or sections able to alter the interior transparency from 100% down to 10%.

“The material is also energy-conductive, meaning the entire surface of the building acts as solar panels. The energy is collected and stored in a series of massive batteries in the central core. In fact, those are Apergy System batteries, custom made for us by your company, Captain Astor. Even my R&D people couldn’t come up with a more efficient storage system.”

“Yes, I’m aware,” JJ smiled somewhat sardonically. “I actually designed them myself… as I recall, your requirements were somewhat unique. I was also intrigued by this solar panel glass of yours. I believe our lawyers are still in discussions about ASI licensing it for use in my Third World Independence Kits.”

“Well, I’m sure you and I can expedite that once things settle down,” Álvaro said as he led them to the central elevator banks. “Now, the main bank of elevators runs from the sub-basements up to the 70th floor, and can stop at any floor between; this smaller bank opposite runs  up to the 75th floor. But this elevator,” he motioned them towards a set of elevator doors set apart from the others and at a right angle to them, “is different. It starts in the deepest sub-basement, a level unreachable by any other elevator, stops here at the lobby, and then not again until the 71st floor. The public elevator banks only go to the 72nd floor – access to floors 73 through 80, and the roof, is only possible via this elevator. Oh, and the public elevators skip the 71st floor, which is a structural barrier of sorts between the upper section and the lower parts of the tower. Among other things it holds a swimming pool and, I’m thinking, general athletic facilities… something I’d welcome your input on.

“So, let’s start the tour at the top,” he finished with a grin, “and work our way down, shall we?”

They all stepped into the the spacious, rather high-tech looking elevator, and Álvaro leaned in to let a lens in the control panel scan his retina. “If you end up accepting my offer, we’ll have your own retinal patterns added to the access list, of course.”

The ride up was surprisingly quick, giving the billionaire time for only a few more factoids about his “baby,” such as total square footage and, at Quanta’s question, the staggering cost of the structure. Kyle was certainly wealthy, and he suspected Astor was even more-so, but de la Vega was in a class so far beyond them both it hardly seemed right to call them all “rich.”

At the 80th floor they had stepped out onto a wide steel-mesh catwalk overlooking a large open area, clearing occupying both the 79th and 80th levels. The slightly inward-sloping windows/walls were set to almost complete opacity, giving only a hint at the night-time cityscape beyond. “This,” Álvaro said with a grand gesture to the open space before them, “is the hanger deck.”

In the center of the open floor below them, which was approximately 70′ x 50′ Kyle estimated, was a large… vehicle, he supposed he’d have to call it, at least until he learned more. It looked like a cross between a space craft and a speedboat…

“And that is the XJV-7,” Max had declared proudly. “It’s an experimental aero-space vehicle, designed by myself and the top engineers at Jordan Aircraft, in a joint venture. If you accept my offer, it will become the Vanguard’s primary transportation, able to reach anywhere on the continent in under an hour, safely submerge to a depth of almost a mile, and reach near-Earth orbit. In fact, it could probably reach the moon in an emergency, although I couldn’t recommend trying it. Stick to visiting the Liberty Alliance at the Overwatch— that’s easily within its reach.”

“OK, I have to see this,” Kyle had burst out, slipping past Álvaro and down the stairs to their left, which lead down to the hanger floor, Scion hard on his heels. The two exchanged enthusiastic grins and headed for the entry ramp that was open at the rear of the craft… only to step through the ramp as they tried to mount it. The whole ship flickered momentarily, then steadied.

“Er, sorry about that guys,” Álvaro called down to them, his face actually reddening a bit in unusual embarrassment. “This is just a holographic image of the real thing… I had my boys set it up this afternoon, in case you accepted my offer. The real deal is sitting in a secure hanger at Jordan Aircraft. Sorry, I should’ve figured you two, at least, would’ve been keen to actually check it out.”

Disappointed, the two heroes had had to settle for grilling Álvaro about the specifications of the amazing-sounding craft, and the conversation had quickly descended into highly technical jargon. The three of them might still be happily at it if the others hadn’t made their boredom with the tech talk very clear. With a promise of a visit to the Jordan facility as soon as possible, Álvaro had reluctantly resumed the tour.

“Below and behind us, on the Hanger’s deck level, are the maintenance and repair facilities for the XJV-7 and the sky-cycles.” He gestured to a row of what looked like a cross between a motorcycle and a snowmobile, but with neither wheels nor skids. “Personal anti-grav sleds, for those without flight powers, when the need arises.

“Behind us on this level you’ll find the control room for the hanger deck, as well as a ready-room, with lockers, toilet facilities, and connections to the central comms array on the roof. Now, let’s continue on to the next level…”

On the 77th floor the elevator doors opened on the opposite side, onto a 12′ wide corridor, walls a soothing light gray, the floor covered in the same yielding, high-tech material as the hanger deck, but in a deep shade of blue. Álvaro immediately turned left on exiting the elevator, leading them to a formidable vault-like door. After another round with a retinal scanner and a tapped code the door slid quietly open to reveal an empty space about the same size as the hanger above.

“This is your state-of-the-art training facility,” Álvaro said, his grin widening. “Not much to look at, you’re thinking, right?” When the others agreed, his grin widened and he pulled a small PADD from inside his jacket and tapped out a few keystrokes. Suddenly the group found themselves on the roof of the Western Empire Hotel, the city laid out below them in twinkling lights. A strong breeze off the ocean stirred Artemis‘ cloak, and carried the smell of salt, car exhaust, and the faint noises of rush-hour traffic.

“What the hell –” started Phantom Ace, going insubstantial, while the Blue Flame shifted to plasma and took to the air. Dr. Froth was suddenly surrounded by a haze of his multicolored bubbles. Kyle had half been expecting something like this, however, and he didn’t think Scion or Artemis were particularly surprised either. He had a hard time reading Totem, but his visible reaction was limited to a raised eyebrow.

“A holographic projector, I assume,” Kyle had said to Álvaro, walking over to rap on an air conditioning unit nearby. It felt solid, but the expected metallic thump sounded slightly off to his ear. “With directed forcefield projectors and tactile feedback as well, I see.”

“Exactly!” Álvaro had laughed. “And a few other high-tech tricks I and my R&D boys have come up with… or “stole” from the Liberty Alliance and the Sampsons in  a few cases. A dozen different weapons platforms can simulate almost any kind of attack, while a massive computer array can simulate almost any environment, for the most realistic training exercises this side of reality itself!”

With a few more taps he caused the city view to vanish, and cycled through five more scenarios, from the Undercity to the surface of the moon. It really was a massively impressive achievement, and Kyle couldn’t wait to get his hands on it to program his own scenarios… he could almost see the same wheels turning in Scion’s head, and even Artemis had appeared to be impressed – she had actually admitted it could be a useful training tool.

“Yeah,” Jonny had agreed as they followed Álvaro out. “As long as the safety protocols are better than they are on Star Trek’s holodecks.” That got a general laugh and the billionaire assured them there was no possibility of accidentally creating a super AI.

“I’m good,” he’d said, “but not that good!”

The rest of the floor, he explained as he lead them back to the elevator, as well as the half-floor above, consisted of support machinery for the simulators and weapons of the training facility. “There’s also an observation and control room on Level 78.”

They gave only a cursory glance to Level 76, which consisted of more support and maintenance machinery for the entire HQ tier. Sealed at it’s heart was the upper level of the power core… while the building as a whole ran off the solar energy collected by its exterior shell, the ten floors being offered to the Vanguard were independently powered. “We’ll talk about that next,” Álvaro had promised when JJ asked about the nature of the system.

The 75th floor contained the secure and completely isolated quantum computer system with quantum-entangled storage, capable of containing all the known works of mankind, and more; the building security office and defensive equipment; and the environmental controls for the top ten floors (which were also entirely isolated from the rest of the building). The most interesting area, to both Kyle and Scion however, was the power core control room.

Another high-tech, high-security door led into the heavily armored control chamber. It was the only access to the core itself, a pillar of pulsing, brilliant blue-white energy behind a heavy crystal containment unit. “It’s a zero-point energy system,” Álvaro explained. “The technology has finally begun to trickle down from the government and the superheoric community, which have kept a lid on it since Tesla first harnessed it, near the end of his life. He’d feared Edison getting his hands on it, never mind the Nazis, both of which concerns were fair enough at the time. But frankly, once the villains started using it in the 90s, what was the point in trying to squash it?

“This is, in fact, the first commercially approved zero-point energy reactor in the US, and while the solar panels power the rest of the building, this can power your headquarters at any conceivable level required – not as big as the one powering the Overwatch, of course, but then that would be over-kill! It even provides the energy for the XJV-7, by energizing replaceable, portable Apergy power cores.”

“Ah, so that’s what you wanted with the smaller cells,” JJ had said, sudden understanding dawning. “We’d wondered about that…”

The others had had to drag both Kyle and JJ away by main strength, and succeeded only after Álvaro had promised to send them the non-classified specs first thing in the morning. He also mentioned that they’d have access to all the specs should they take him up on his offer… the man certainly knew how to set his lure, Kyle had thought wryly.

The next floor down, Level 74 consisted of several laboratory spaces, in a variety of sizes and layouts. The walls here were a pale green, and the high-tech flooring a darker green. They were mostly empty, and the floor seemed only half finished. “If you move in here, we can equip these labs however you’d like,” Álvaro said as they poked their heads into the various spaces. “Any equipment you want I’m prepared to provide… physics, chemistry, engineering, you name it! And everything can be tied into the secure computer array upstairs.”

The 73rd floor was less tech and far more human, with plush blue carpet, eggshell white walls, and soft, indirect lighting. It proved to contain the living quarters for the team – more than enough private bedrooms (with en suite bathrooms) for the entire team, plus guests; a formal dining room and professional kitchen; and an impressive recreation room and a beautiful HD screening room that seated 20.

“I don’t imagine all of you will wish to take up residence here,” Álvaro had said as they returned to the elevator, “though any who do are certainly welcome. But regardless, you’ll each have your own private space to retreat to when you’re on duty.”

The 72nd floor of the headquarters section was the only one that would be open to the public – albeit a very limited section of the public: the press, support personnel and official visitors. A small but very well equipped state-of-the-art medical facility had impressed, as had the large corner space designated as their official meeting room… the views of the city, and of Mt. Defiance to the north and the Pacific to the west, promised to be spectacular in the daylight.

A reception area and large press room took up much of the central section of the floor, with a communications center, conference rooms and offices filling the rest of the space. “You’ll have your pick of the larger ones for you own individual offices, of course,” Álvaro had explained. “I’d sort of envisioned the one between the press room and meeting chamber as being for the team leader – it’s the only one with a secretary’s office attached – but of course that will be entirely up to you to decide.”

“Wait a minute,” the Blue Flame had said, raising his hand. He’d reverted to his human form after the Holodeck experience. “Excuse me, what do you mean ‘our offices?’ We’re superheroes, not… not…”

“Office drones!” Phantom Ace had supplied, looking a little worried himself.

“Superheroes you may be,” Álvaro had laughed, “but I guarantee you that running a super-team is not that much different from running a business… and never forget that the government is always involved, at some level — which means paperwork!”

♦  ♦  ♦  ♦

PHANTOM ACE
Gideon rolled over and blinked blearily at the gray light coming in the window. So much for the nice weather… it looked like it was back to the standard issue for this time of year – gray, wet and windy. He had taken up Jonny’s offer to let him crash at his place after the tour of the AzTech Pyramid last night, which had been more appealing than his flop house in the Undercity. He’d probably keep that dive as a backup, but if they decided to take de la Vega up on his offer he planned to move into the skyscraper. He still didn’t entirely trust the billionaire, but he was perfectly happy to enjoy his money while keeping an eye on him…

He had to admit, he was also still a little uncertain about this whole team thing. It would be nice to have friends, strong friends, protecting his back, but would that make up for being so publicly visible? De la Vega had talked about press conferences, photo shoots, publicity consultants… of course it was likely that the discretion ship had already sailed, given all the pictures and videos taken of him in action on the day of the Incident. No doubt his mysterious pursuers knew more or less where to find him now. His options were to run and go underground again in a new city, or maybe a new country this time… or to stay and make his stand.

He was tired of running.

And strangely, once the shock had worn off, the idea of having his own office sort of appealed to him. He’d never held any kind of a real job, and the image of himself behind a big desk, with a staff and everything, was oddly alluring. He really hadn’t known that a team required so many support people – he’d envisioned it sort of like the comics, he guessed. They’d gather in their headquarters, waiting for the authorities to call when trouble arose, with maybe a butler to take care of feeding them and seeing to… everything else that needed seeing to?

But he supposed in this day and age you really did need publicists, image consultants, secretaries, regular security dudes, and, of course, lawyers, to run the day-to-day stuff. They’d never have time to fight crime or alien invasions or deadly mutants or evil masterminds if they had to do all that themselves… not to mention doing their own laundry. And de la Vega had made it clear that they would be hiring the staff themselves, although SHADE would be vetting them, which all sounded pretty secure.

With a sigh he sat up on the sofa and stretched. Not the most comfortable one he’d ever slept on, but far from the worst! Wrapping the blanket around himself he headed for the bathroom… he could hear Jonny snoring in the bedroom, so he should take advantage of the facilities while he could. The APD had asked for his help over in Westport, where they were still looking for survivors in the wreckage of some collapsed building hit by a freak piece of wreckage, and he’d promised to be there by… he squinted at the clock… shit, in 12 minutes!

Thank dog he was a teleporter… he could just squeeze in a shower and still make it across town on time…

♦  ♦  ♦  ♦

TOTEM
Cooper awoke to the smell of coffee and bacon, and the sound of Meg humming in the kitchen. Gray late morning light and the sound of rain was pleasantly lulling… for just a moment his sleep-fogged mind basked in the comfortable familiarity of the scene… they always alternated making breakfast for each other, and hers were always the best…

And then he woke up fully.

He leaped out of bed with a strangled curse, tangled his feet in the bedclothes, and hit the floor with a thump that rattled the pictures on the wall.

“Everything OK in there?” Meg called out, amusement clear in her voice. “You’re not fighting a super villain in my bedroom are you?”

Cooper groaned, and quickly untangled himself, wrapping the sheet around his naked torso. “No, no, nothing to worry about… just being clumsy.” She laughed and assured him breakfast would be ready soon, but there was time for a quick shower if he wanted one. He snatched the chance to put off a face-to-face for a little while longer, and slipped into the bathroom.

In the shower he leaned his head against the wall and let the hot water pour over his body. What in the name of all the Avatars had he done? Yesterday had been very full, and full of surprises. The research into the mysterious Astoria Incident had been intriguing, and the two fights instructive… he had already begun to formulate ways he and his new teammates could amplify their powers by working together. Certainly Álvaro de la Vega’s offer, and the tour of his AzTech Pyramid, had been a surprise… but not as big a surprise as finding Meg Halcyon waiting for them in Defiant Plaza when the tour was over.

He had excused himself from the group rather hastily, absently agreeing to meet the next afternoon at Apergy to decide on their response to de la Vega’s offer of sponsorship. He sensed their curiosity, but no one said anything, and he was grateful not to have this conversation in front of everyone… especially since he’d already taken some good-natured ribbing about his Raven-avatar flirting so outrageously with Sabra earlier!

“Hello Coo- er, Totem,” Meg had said, pleasantly enough. She allowed herself to be lead away from the rest of the Vanguard without demure. “Quite the debut you had yesterday.”

“Um… yes, I suppose it was. And thank you for all those questions yesterday at the press conference. Not really my debut, of course… I’ve been quietly using my… gifts… where they were needed since I returned last fall…” he stopped then in embarrassment. He also hadn’t gotten in touch with his old lover on his return to the city. Indeed, had actively tried to avoid her.

Meg shrugged off the awkward moment and gave him a wry smile. “Yes, I’ve suspected that was the case for the last several months – reports of mysterious help from odd metas that sounded very much like your Avatars came to my attention more than once. The only one I was sure of, though, was that incident off the mouth of the Columbia back in January – I recognized Orca from Captain Astor’s description in his after-action report of the rescue of the survivors from the capsized ship. Hurrah for the Freedom of Information Act, huh?”

“Listen, Meg,” Cooper blurted out. “I’m sorry that I didn’t contact you, when I returned to Astoria. I – It’s just that –” he tapered off, not knowing how to explain the full scope of the disaster in which his attempt to return home had ended.

Meg had laid a hand on his shoulder then, the first time she’d actually touched him. “Cooper, relax. I understand why you did what you did – I was angry at the time, but I’ve come to realize that you really had no choice. I can’t say I’m thrilled about it, but I’m not angry any more.” They had wandered across Defiance Plaza and were now standing in front of St. Catherine’s Cathedral.

“But I am curious,” she had added, stopping and turning to face him. “Why are you back at all? I thought you would be on your mystical Island, training a new generation of shamen, and if I ever saw you again at all it would be as an old lady, many years from now.”

“It’s… a long story,” Cooper had sighed, putting his hand over hers. “And a sad one. Are you sure you want to hear this now?”

“Of course I do, you goof!” she’d snorted. “I’m a reporter… even if I’m not going to be able to print it (I assume), I still want to know everything. Always! But the clouds are starting to roll in, and it’s getting cold. You might not feel it much, but this mere mortals sure does… why don’t we go back to my place and get comfortable, if it’s such a long story? Have you eaten dinner yet?”

He admitted that he hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and she proposed they get some Thai take-out from the place down the block from her apartment, then settle in and he could tell her all about it. For Cooper it was like all the horrible months since last July had just dropped away and, just like old times, he was utterly unable to say no to her.

As she tucked her arm in his and they turned to head for the ART light rail stop at Columbia Blvd and Broadway, he leaned his head down and said quietly in her ear, “I’ve missed you, Meg.”

And now here he was, waking up in her apartment after a night of passion that had taken him, at least, completely by surprise. As if his decisions had never come between them, as if he hadn’t broken both their hearts. But was this just a one-time thing? Did she want to pick up where they’d left off? Did he? And even if they both did, was it wise? If he was really going to take on the role of a superhero now –

“OK, stop wasting my hot water,” Meg yelled, rapping on the bathroom door. “Breakfast is on the table, so get your ass out here, mister!”

Well, Cooper thought as he turned off the water and reached for a towel, the only way to see where this was going was through breakfast, it seemed…

♦  ♦  ♦  ♦

BLUE FLAME
Jonny melted his alarm clock to slag before realizing that it was, in fact, his cell phone’s insistent bleating that had drawn him up from a deep sleep. His chagrin at having destroyed a perfectly good clock/radio was quickly overwhelmed by the realization that he’d done it by turning only his hand into blue plasma! He hadn’t realized before this moment that his transformation didn’t need to be all-or-nothing…  he examined the flaming appendage closely, trying to see where exactly the line between flesh and flame was, and struggling to figure out how this was possible…

It wasn’t until the phone stopped ringing that he realized he hadn’t answered it, lost in this new manifestation of his powers. He picked up the AzTech Warrior smart phone and checked his missed calls list – Scion! Shit, second day as a superhero and he was already missing calls from the boss! He quickly hit the call-back button… Scion answered on the second ring.

“Sorry, sorry,” Jonny said before his teammate could say anything more than ‘hello.’ “I was asleep, and then I slagged my clock/radio, and I – well, never mind. What’s up?”

“No problem, Jonny,” JJ said, amusement in his voice. “But I could use your help this morning. I just got a call from a young woman who claims a friend of hers is trapped beneath a collapsed building. She’s convinced he’s still alive – it’s an ice cream shop, and she says the freezer is built like a fallout shelter – but the authorities aren’t letting anyone dig due to the danger of further collapse.

“I promised I’d head over and lend a hand, but I’m not necessarily the best one for the job, not if the remaining structure is so fragile. Phantom Ace is helping on the west side this morning, Artemis is in some mysterious meeting, and I was hoping your non-material form and ability to incinerate things might prove useful. You game?”

“Sure!” Jonny was up and rummaging for clean clothes in an instant. “Just tell me where to go and I’ll meet you ASAP, chief!”

“It’s the Salt & Straw in the 200 block of Eastline Street, near Otter Point Amusement Park. And don’t call me chief!”

It wasn’t until he was fully dressed and headed for the door that Jonny realized he was an idiot. As soon as he changed to his plasma form he’d destroy whatever he was wearing… d’oh! Mr. de la Vega had promised last night that he’d set them all up with the latest Q-lon costumes, assuming they agreed to let him sponsor the team, but until then he’d have to go into battle naked. Looking around to double check that Roland had left already, he skinned out of his clothes and prepared to “flame on.”

“Damn!” How would he get out of his apartment without the risk of burning it down? And how could he be sure no one would see him leave? He hadn’t fully decided on the whole secret identity thing yet, but he wanted to keep his options open… having the Blue Flame be seen leaving Jonny Osaka’s apartment would pretty much be a dead give away, wouldn’t it?

In the end he’d thrown on his rattiest old sweat pants and a faded Meta-Metal Death 2010 World Tour t-shirt, and headed out bare-footed. Ducking into an alley two blocks away, after making sure no one was watching, he triggered the change. His clothes vanished, reduced to their component molecules, and he rose up between the buildings into the gray sky. Rain sizzled as it hit his aura, and he turned north, pouring on the speed…

[Click here for more on Scion’s & Blue Flame’s mission of mercy]

♦  ♦  ♦  ♦

DR. FROTH
Ted arrived at Apergy Systems International for the team meeting more than an hour early. He wanted to go over the latest simulations he’d been running on the possible effects of the matrix crystal “parasites” should they be released into the human population on a larger scale. JJ Astor certainly had a sweet set-up here, and while Ted appreciated the man’s willingness to let others play in his sandbox, he had to admit that Álvaro de la Vega’s offer of unlimited lab and tech resources was a major temptation… nonetheless…

It wasn’t long before the others began to arrive, and JJ’s assistant, the unflappable and hyper-competent Penny Monet, had arranged for Triceratops Delicatessen to cater a very nice spread. If the Vanguard was going to eat like this all the time it was certainly another temptation, he thought as he piled his  plate high. This pulled pork was to die for… nonetheless…

At 17:00 sharp JJ, in his Scion armor but sans helmet, called the group to order, and started the ball rolling by listing his own feelings, both pro and con, about accepting Álvaro de la Vega’s offer of, essentially, corporate sponsorship. Soon everyone was offering up their opinions, impressions and intuitions. Good arguments were made on both sides, but the arc definitely trended toward idea of accepting the proposal. Artemis spoke of her meeting earlier in the day with Director Adams, the head of SHADE, in Washington, D.C., and assured the group that the agency would be solidly behind them once everyone passed the usual background checks. That latter item was definitely not a temptation, Ted thought… he had no desire at all to have the government knowing his business…

It eventually came down to the vote, with JJ going first. “I can’t say I don’t have some reservations about Álvaro de la Vega, but on the whole I think his offer is sincere. Assuming we can guarantee our autonomy from his direct interference, I vote we accept his offer. God knows I can’t match his resources to fund a team!”

“I also have certain reservations about Mr. de la Vega,” Artemis spoke next. “But they do not extend to his offer of sponsorship for this team. I think whatever secrets he may be keeping, benign or otherwise, might best be uncovered by keeping him close… as the saying goes, ‘keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.’ I do not believe Mr. de la Vega is our enemy, but nevertheless, closer seems wiser.”

“I sense no evil in the man,” Totem said. “Although Raven does sense a kindred spirit of… mischief… in him, perhaps. I vote we accept his offer.”

“Going back to what JJ mentioned,” Quanta said when his turn came, “even if we pooled our resources, and I certainly have some of my own, we could never match what de la Vega brings to the table. I like to think I’m a good judge of character, and honestly – I feel good about this deal. I say we go for it.”

“I think Álvaro de la Vega is an amazing guy!” Jonny said enthusiastically. “I really don’t see why you guys think he’s hiding something, he seems pretty up-front to me. I say hell yes, we take the offer!”

Roland shrugged and polished off his Coke. “I didn’t trust him much yesterday, not at first, and I’m not 100% sure now. But I have to admit he was pretty cool under pressure… and he really did seem to be a lot more concerned about his workers than about his stuff, or even himself. And Artemis is right – if there is something hinky about him, better we’re around when it pops up. So I say yeah, let’s do it.”

Everybody turned to look at Ted, who straightened up from the slouch he’d slipped into. He coughed once, cleared his throat, then spoke. His tone was serious. “I think it’s a good deal, and the arguments for are a lot stronger than those against. So I’d vote to accept the offer. Except…” he took a deep breath. “I’m not going to be a member of the team after today, so I don’t really think my vote should count.”

The room erupted into surprised exclamations for a moment – even Artemis seemed to have been caught off-guard by his announcement. Eventually it quieted down, and Quanta put a hand on his shoulder.  “Why?” was all he said.

“I’ve been going over what to do with my powers ever since I got them,” Ted sighed. “I’d still be dithering if it wasn’t for the disaster the other day. I felt like the only responsible thing to do was “take the cape,” as they say. But after two days and three major fights I realized this just isn’t what I want to do. And it sure as hell is not the best use of my brain!

“I’ve been working on important environmental issues for years, and I just think that’s where I can do the most good – the world will be a lot better off if I find some solutions to global warming rather than spend my time punching out a few more super-crooks.

“That’s not to say I’ll never put on my super-suit again (especially if de la Vega will still spring for one of those Q-lon babies!), but only in a real crisis. Or if I’m the only one on the scene, or whatever. So consider me a reservist, I guess… maybe a consultant? But I can’t do this full-time.”

For a few minutes several of the others tried to convince him to stay, but he was adamant and in the end they had to accept his decision. It was with some real sadness that the group said their farewells, and Dr. Froth left the building.

“Well damn,” Phantom Ace said once Ted was gone. “Seven is, like, the traditional number for a super-team. Guess we’ll just have to settle for six now.”

“No,” Scion said, looking thoughtful. “There is another…”

♦  ♦  ♦  ♦

The next three weeks were the proverbial whirlwind of activity. The Vanguard met with local and state authorities, politicians, citizen groups… and, of course, the press. Interviews, press conferences, and photo shoot after photo shoot eventually left some of the group wondering if Dr. Froth hadn’t had the right idea after all. The one exception was their newest member, the man of living ice, Chilz.

His appearance on the scene might not have been as dramatic as the others during the Incident itself, but the press were eating up his “origin story” – blasted by a bolt from the Incident, trapped in wreckage, loyal friends fighting the powers-that-be to rescue him, the heroes who stepped in to help, the dramatic emergence from his “tomb,” and best of all, his visually stunning save of not only several civilians, but arguably Scion himself. Since much of the events, especially the save, had been captured on video, the story had proven to have legs.

With no desire to hide his identity (unlike most of his teammates), and a seemingly infinite patience with, and fondness for, the press (unlike Scion), Chilz quickly became a media darling. Once the team announced that he would be joining them, replacing the mysteriously vanished Dr. Froth, he became the most visible member of the team, after Scion, in the coming weeks.

De la Vega and his team organized most of the meetings with the authorities, and all the press events, but the billionaire always stood aside when it was the Vanguard’s time to shine. Álvaro really didn’t seem to be in it for his own publicity, publicly minimizing his part in sponsoring the team; and privately he only offered advice or input when asked for it. All in all, his AzTech team of professionals proved to be a valuable resource, and gave the team a good template of what to look for in hiring their own HQ staff.

Scion, and to an extent Artemis, taught the others much about dealing with the authorities both in public and private. Thankfully almost everyone in town seemed eager to work with the new heroes, and excited at the prospect of having a team of superheroes to call on when threats like the Astoria Incident might rear their heads in the future. The occasional crimes that individual members stopped during this period, and the help given in minor crises such as fires and traffic accidents, only reinforced the public support for the new arrangement.

To show its support for the new home team, one of the citizen groups suggested the mayor present the Vanguard with the key to the city. It proved to be a popular suggestion once the press started trumpeting the idea, and at the end of their first full week as a team the heroes found themselves standing on a stage on the steps of City Hall receiving a large golden key from Mayor Syrett in a public ceremony. Afterward most of the heroes spent time talking to the press and signing glossy pictures of themselves for adoring fans – except Artemis, who vanished immediately after the ceremony, as she almost always did in such circumstances.

Drowned out by the ceremony, and the media circus surrounding it, was the news that the Regional Director of the local SHADE office had resigned “to spend more time with his family.” The fact that he was single was discreetly ignored. The new Regional Director was immediately named by Director Lorenzo Adams – former Astoria native and deputy director of the Los Angeles office Marilyn Mack. What didn’t make the papers, but was shared with the team by Artemis, was the fact that the Director gave his new chief one over-riding imperative, eclipsing her standard duties – clean house. Do it quickly. Do it quietly. But most importantly, do it thoroughly. And apparently she was doing just that…

Which made the announcement, about a week later, that it was time for the Vanguard to face their security clearance interviews with the agency easier to bear. For most, any way – both Phantom Ace and Quanta were still very wary about giving up their secrets to anyone.

In the latter case, Artemis had assured Kyle there was no point in resisting… she had discovered his identity with little effort (and no, she wasn’t telepathic) and SHADE could do the same, if they hadn’t already. Better to come clean and accept the fact that secret identities were almost impossible to conceal from the government these days… but much easier to conceal from the public-at-large with the government’s help.

The interviews took place over two days in a small, non-descript conference room in the SHADE offices in the Bob Packwood Federal Building. They were led by a two-person team, Agent Mark Jessup and Agent Gwendolyn Stark, both new transfers from the Midwest Region office. Artemis agreed to go first, to reassure her more nervous teammates. In a similar vein of solidarity, Scion would take the last slot, despite having already been vetted by SHADE years ago – if his team had to do it, so would he.

Artemis had another motive for going first… to start things off with a certain level of intimidation that might smooth things for the others. She smiled to herself as she teleported into a dark corner of the room, startling the two agents. She so seldom got to have just plain fun…

“Um, good morning, er, Artemis,” Agent Jessup greeted her, recovering very quickly from his surprise. “Please, be seated.” He gestured at the chair on the opposite side of the table from himself and his partner.

“Thank you Agent Jessup,” she said, staying just far enough out of the light over the table to keep most of her face in shadow, “I prefer to stand. Let us begin.”

The two agents exchanged looks, barely masking their annoyance, but with a hint of uncertainty. They clearly wondered how she knew their names – they hadn’t introduced themselves yet. After a moment of paper shuffling Agent Stark cleared her throat and asked the first question. “Can you please give us an overview of your powers, in so far as you’re familiar with them?”

“No,” Artemis said.

Another surprised exchange of looks. “Artemis, we have no desire to antagonize you, but you must understand that it is SHADE that must ultimately sign off on your team, if you expect to get any federal–”

“I am aware of the purpose of these interviews, Agent Stark, and the role of your organization. Please proceed.”

The younger woman’s jaw clenched slightly, but she decided not to push just yet. “How long have you been operating as a “hero?”

“Rather a long time.” She didn’t elaborate, but did add, “And I suppose it would depend on how you define “hero.”

A heavy sigh from Jessup. “What motivated you to start?”

“A thirst for justice – and vengeance.”

“Could you elaborate on that please?”

“No.”

“Look, if you’re not going to cooperate with this process, why did you bother–” Agent Jessup’s outburst was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. He frowned in annoyance as he pulled it out to check the caller ID… annoyance quickly turning to surprise. He hit the “accept call” button with alacrity.

“Agent Jessup here… good morning sir… yes sir… no sir… sir, I think… no sir, she didn’t mention it… no sir… I see, sir… yes, thank you sir. Good-bye.”

Slipping his phone into his pocket, the agent shuffled through the papers in front of him, pulled out a pen to sign one, then handed pen and paper to his partner. “Just sign it,” he said. “I’ll explain later.” Stark reluctantly complied, and the pen and paper were shoved towards Artemis next.

“If you’ll sign here, ma’am, that will conclude our interview. Your security clearance should be ready by this afternoon.”

“Thank you Agent,” Artemis said, bending down to sign her nom d’hero below the other two signatures. When the the agents looked up after verifying the documentation was in order she was gone.

♦  ♦  ♦  ♦

Once the interviews were all over, the paperwork and non-disclosure agreements signed, and the security clearances granted, the group got down to the serious business of outfitting their new headquarters, with both hardware and personnel. Álvaro de la Vega had crews working around the clock, bringing in more contractors as needed to get the labs fully functional and the defensive systems installed.

With the mystery of the Astoria Incident currently at a seeming dead end, Scion and Quanta spent a great deal of their time overseeing the work at the Pyramid themselves, while Artemis took advantage of the already operational Training Room to begin the combat lessons Phantom Ace had requested of her. Jonny occasionally joined these sessions in his human form, a move of which she heartily approved – you could never tell when your powers might fail or be unavailable, and you should have innate skills to fall back on. Eventually almost everyone began to cycle through her combat classes…

Kyle was a little surprised when, reminding Artemis one day that she had promised to put him in touch with people who could fix him up with a solid fake ID and medical credentials, she had actually laughed.

“Kyle,” she said. “You’ve already met the people best suited for such a task. SHADE is the best possible source for the kind of secondary persona you wish to create. I could direct you to less reputable sources, true, but the results could never be as solid as those SHADE would provide. And given your noble purpose in creating this new persona, I think you should have the best.”

He realized she was right, of course, and he called Regional Director Mack directly. A week later it was Agent Stark who personally hand delivered his new alternate identity: Dr. Jason Creswell, a research doctor specializing in childhood diseases and degenerative disorders, recently arrived in Astoria from Germany, with privileges at all the major local hospitals.

Two days after that, the day before the official opening of the AzTech Pyramid and the public unveiling of the Vanguard’s headquarters, the group met to discuss organization and take a leadership vote…